Ruben Amorim spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport after Milan’s 4-2 victory over Manchester United. Here are his words:
Did the best performance of the summer arrive at the right moment?
"Certainly, but today’s result doesn’t matter, because what matters is winning on Sunday against Torino, and that will be a completely different match from today’s. Today we had more space to play. So it will be different, but naturally the team’s feeling is completely different when you win, and especially when you do so while playing well. However, I think we need to be concerned about the way we are conceding goals. We are gifting goals away, both against Celtic and today. But apart from that, I think we are improving. Still, it doesn’t matter. Pre-season doesn’t count; we have to win the next match.’
You beat your former club. Do you feel anything special after this victory?
‘No. For me, it was a normal match. Since I signed with Milan, I haven’t felt anything towards Manchester United. I am only proud to have been at Manchester United and I still love the club, but after signing with Milan, I don’t feel anything negative about anything, because I am very happy. I am where I want to be. I only want to continue here. Naturally, it was special to play against them again, but I wanted to win a match in this pre-season so that we could present ourselves well ahead of our league campaign, give our fans a good impression and have them support us in the first match.’
In recent days, the decision to leave some players out of the project has made headlines…
‘All four of them did really well during pre-season, but we have to make choices. We are changing things, and I think it is important to really make changes at this moment because we are at the beginning of a project. We have some young players who will get opportunities, and I have to create space for them. I still want to emphasise that those players did really well during pre-season. But, as I told you when we returned from Jakarta, we have to prepare for the season. And with almost 40 players, it is impossible to prepare for it. So I feel sorry for the lads, but we have to do it. And there is another thing I want to say…’
Go ahead…
‘Another thing I want to talk about concerns the situation of Mike, Rabiot and Modric. Rabiot, Modric and Maignan had more days off because they played more. For me, that was important. Everyone complains about the number of matches and the fact that players cannot cope with the amount of fatigue, and I gave those players those extra days because I already knew they wouldn’t be able to play today. So I gave them another three days. It won’t change anything. And for me, it is really important to say that this was my decision, not the players’. They want to train. Tomorrow they will be at Milanello preparing for the first match. They had a full programme and followed it, because we have proof that they did so. So I want this to be really clear, because I think it is important.’
Will Maignan already be able to play against Torino?
‘It is a different position. He has been training all the time. If you look at the number of matches he has played in recent seasons with Milan, he plays every game. He will be ready for the first match because it is a different position. We will assess Rabiot. Rabiot is a really important player for us. But, as we showed today, we need to trust our players. We need to rest the players who need to rest because it will be a very demanding season. We also have other players who are ready to play, but I think they will be ready to make their contribution in the next match.’
Will Leao recover in time for Torino?
‘I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t think it is anything serious, but I don’t know if he will be ready.’
And what about his future?
‘I don’t know, but Leao is our player. I have already said that we are happy to have him; he is a really valuable player. So we will see, but he has to fight. I think Cisse, based on the way he played, will make things difficult. Saelemaekers has changed position, so it will be tough. We also have Pulisic coming back. So we have many players who will fight for the spot.’
Will you ask for new signings after this victory?
‘We have a plan now. And we will do what we believe is best for the club, not just for today, but also for the future. So we will see what happens.’
Cardinale has also been close to you this week with his presence at Milanello.
‘It’s not just about me. We are really, really happy with the support we have from our owner, but it’s not just about me. The people at Milanello, everyone who is in our home, when they see the owner always there, speaking to everyone, it is something special. The people… and we, as I said, are a family. I think a lot has changed this year, and you can see it. We had a great conversation and we are planning the future and the present, the present of the club. But, once again, it’s not just about me: it’s about everyone who is in our home, in Milan.’
It is your first time in Poland. What is your impression of Poland and the stadium?
‘The atmosphere here is really nice. The people are really kind. I really like the stadium. There is a great atmosphere and wonderful people. We were really happy here, but now we will return to our home, and we love it, we love our home.’”
